Africa deserves better representation in clinical trials – Khalani

The Chief Executive Officer of Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, Rashid Khalani, has decried the low representation of Africans in global clinical trials for new drugs, despite the continent accounting for about 25 per cent of the world’s disease burden. Khalani said the disparity should serve as a wake-up call for Africa to invest in and lead research efforts, rather than remain largely dependent on innovations developed elsewhere. “Africa has 17 per cent of the world’s population, but we carry 25 per cent of the global disease burden. That is significant,” he said. “However, how many Africans are involved in global clinical trials? Only about four per cent. That is gross under-representation for a continent of our size, and it underscores why research is so important.”